Building comparison
head to head
Iron BrigadevsSteamWorld Heist
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Iron Brigade
Optimization · Practiced Mastery
Double Fine's tower-defense shooter where you fight TV monsters from a customizable trench-mech.
SteamWorld Heist
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Side-on turn-based tactics where you manually aim ricocheting bullets for a steambot pirate crew.
Iron Brigade leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); SteamWorld Heist leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Iron BrigadeSteamWorld Heist
Axis by axis
Execution5 vs 4
Iron Brigade leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Iron Brigade
Manual aiming from your walking trench-mech
SteamWorld Heist
Manual aim and ricochet shots reward steady hands
Reads0 vs 0
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Iron Brigade
Tube waves arrive on schedule
SteamWorld Heist
Enemy bots follow fixed behaviors
Variance2 vs 3
SteamWorld Heist leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Iron Brigade
Loot drops randomize gear options
SteamWorld Heist
Procedural ship layouts and loot drops
Optimization7 vs 7
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Iron Brigade
Turret placement and mech loadout economy
SteamWorld Heist
Crew builds, weapon picks, and turn routing carry runs
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.